Downbound Train

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Track 5 of Born In The U.S.A., 1984.

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Credits

• Born In The U.S.A. (1984)
  • Bruce Springsteen: vocals, guitar
  • Roy Bittan: piano, synthesizer, backing vocals
  • Clarence Clemons: percussion, backing vocals
  • Danny Federici: organ, glockenspiel
  • Garry Tallent: bass, backing vocals
  • Steven Van Zandt: guitar, mandolin, backing vocals
  • Max Weinberg: drums, backing vocals

Performances

Performed live 174 times (not including snippet performances). 2024-06-29 Goffertpark, Nijmegen, The Netherlands 2024-06-14 Cívitas Metropolitano, Madrid, Spain 2024-04-15 MVP Arena, Albany, NY 2023-07-02 Voldsløkka Stadion, Oslo, Norway 2017-02-16 Brisbane Entertainment Centre, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia 2017-02-07 Qudos Bank Arena, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia 2017-01-25 Perth Arena, Perth, Western Australia, Australia 2016-09-11 Consol Energy Center, Pittsburgh, PA 2016-09-07 Citizens Bank Park, Philadelphia, PA 2016-09-01 Nationals Park, Washington, DC 2016-08-30 MetLife Stadium, East Rutherford, NJ 2016-05-21 Estadio Santiago Bernabéu, Madrid, Spain 2016-05-19 Bela Vista Park, Lisbon, Portugal 2014-05-06 Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion, Houston, TX 2014-04-17 Bridgestone Arena, Nashville, TN 2014-03-01 Mt. Smart Stadium, Auckland, New Zealand 2014-02-15 AAMI Park, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia 2014-02-08 Perth Arena, Perth, Western Australia, Australia 2013-09-21 Cidade Do Rock, Rio De Janeiro, Brazil 2013-09-14 Estadio G.E.B.A., Buenos Aires, Argentina 2013-07-27 Nowlan Park, Kilkenny, Ireland 2013-06-30 Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, London, England 2013-06-29 Stade De France, Saint-Denis, France 2013-06-22 Goffertpark, Nijmegen, The Netherlands 2013-06-03 Stadio Giuseppe Meazza, Milan, Italy 2013-05-26 Olympiastadion, Munich, Germany 2013-05-11 Friends Arena, Solna, Sweden 2013-04-30 Telenor Arena, Oslo, Norway 2013-03-26 Rod Laver Arena, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia 2012-11-17 Sprint Center, Kansas City, MO 2012-10-31 Blue Cross Arena At The War Memorial, Rochester, NY 2012-09-22 MetLife Stadium, East Rutherford, NJ 2012-07-31 Olympiastadion, Helsinki, Finland 2012-07-28 Ullevi, Gothenburg, Sweden 2012-07-23 Koengen, Bergen, Norway 2012-07-05 Palais Omnisports De Paris-Bercy, Paris, France 2012-06-11 Stadio Nereo Rocco, Trieste, Italy 2012-05-18 Estadi Olímpic Lluís Companys, Barcelona, Spain 2012-04-16 Times Union Center, Albany, NY 2009-10-20 Wachovia Spectrum, Philadelphia, PA 2009-10-09 Giants Stadium, East Rutherford, NJ 2009-10-03 Giants Stadium, East Rutherford, NJ 2009-06-30 Stade De Suisse, Bern, Switzerland 2009-06-05 Stockholms Stadion, Stockholm, Sweden 2009-04-03 Jobing.com Arena, Glendale, AZ 2008-06-29 Parken Stadium, Copenhagen, Denmark 2008-05-31 Emirates Stadium, London, England 2005-11-11 Ted Constant Convocation Center, Old Dominion University, Norfolk, VA 2005-06-27 Color Line Arena, Hamburg, Germany 2005-06-25 Hovet, Stockholm, Sweden 2003-07-27 Giants Stadium, East Rutherford, NJ 2003-06-12 AOL Arena, Hamburg, Germany 2002-08-30 Savvis Center, St. Louis, MO 2000-06-26 Madison Square Garden, New York City, NY 2000-04-17 Frank Erwin Center, University Of Texas, Austin, TX 2000-04-09 Kemper Arena, Kansas City, MO 1999-11-28 Target Center, Minneapolis, MN 1999-11-19 Marine Midland Arena, Buffalo, NY 1999-11-17 Value City Arena, Columbus, OH 1999-08-11 Continental Airlines Arena, East Rutherford, NJ 1999-06-24 Stockholms Stadion, Stockholm, Sweden 1999-06-13 Bruno-Plache-Stadion, Leipzig, Germany 1993-06-01 Valle Hovin Stadion, Oslo, Norway 1993-05-25 Stadio Flaminio, Rome, Italy 1993-05-22 National Bowl (The), Milton Keynes, England 1993-05-20 RDS Arena, Dublin, Ireland 1993-05-16 Alter Flughafen-Riem, Munich, Germany 1993-05-14 Waldbühne, Berlin, Germany 1993-05-07 Estadio Municipal El Molinón, Gijón, Spain 1993-05-05 Estadio Vicente Calderón, Madrid, Spain 1993-05-01 Estádio José Alvalade, Lisbon, Portugal 1993-04-24 Flanders Expo, Ghent, Belgium 1992-07-31 Brendan Byrne Arena, East Rutherford, NJ 1992-07-04 Plaza Monumental, Barcelona, Spain 1992-06-30 Palais Omnisports De Paris-Bercy, Paris, France 1992-06-25 Festhalle, Frankfurt, Germany 1992-06-21 Forum Di Assago, Milan, Italy 1988-08-03 Camp Nou, Barcelona, Spain 1988-08-02 Estadio Vicente Calderón, Madrid, Spain 1988-07-30 Weserstadion, Bremen, West Germany 1988-07-27 Valle Hovin Stadion, Oslo, Norway 1988-07-25 Københavns Idrætspark, Copenhagen, Denmark 1988-07-22 Waldbühne, West Berlin, West Germany 1988-07-19 Radrennbahn Weissensee, East Berlin, East Germany 1988-07-17 Olympia-Reitstadion Riem, Munich, West Germany 1988-07-14 St. Jakob Stadion, Basel, Switzerland 1988-07-12 Waldstadion, Frankfurt, West Germany 1988-07-10 Bramall Lane, Sheffield, England 1988-07-09 Bramall Lane, Sheffield, England 1988-07-07 RDS Arena, Dublin, Ireland 1988-07-03 Stockholms Stadion, Stockholm, Sweden 1985-09-29 Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, Los Angeles, CA 1985-09-27 Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, Los Angeles, CA 1985-09-24 Mile High Stadium, Denver, CO 1985-09-23 Mile High Stadium, Denver, CO 1985-09-19 Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum, Oakland, CA 1985-09-18 Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum, Oakland, CA 1985-09-14 Cotton Bowl, Dallas, TX 1985-09-13 Cotton Bowl, Dallas, TX 1985-09-09 Orange Bowl, Miami, FL 1985-09-06 Hoosier Dome, Indianapolis, IN 1985-09-04 Pontiac Silverdome, Pontiac, MI 1985-09-01 Giants Stadium, East Rutherford, NJ 1985-08-31 Giants Stadium, East Rutherford, NJ 1985-08-27 CNE Stadium, Toronto, ON 1985-08-26 CNE Stadium, Toronto, ON 1985-08-22 Giants Stadium, East Rutherford, NJ 1985-08-21 Giants Stadium, East Rutherford, NJ 1985-08-19 Giants Stadium, East Rutherford, NJ 1985-08-18 Giants Stadium, East Rutherford, NJ 1985-08-14 Veterans Stadium, Philadelphia, PA 1985-08-11 Three Rivers Stadium, Pittsburgh, PA 1985-08-09 Soldier Field, Chicago, IL 1985-08-07 Cleveland Municipal Stadium, Cleveland, OH 1985-08-05 RFK Stadium, Washington, DC 1985-07-07 Roundhay Park, Leeds, England 1985-07-06 Wembley Stadium, London, England 1985-07-03 Wembley Stadium, London, England 1985-06-29 Parc De La Courneuve, Paris, France 1985-06-25 Stade Geoffroy-Guichard, Saint-Étienne, France 1985-06-23 Stade Richter, Montpellier, France 1985-06-21 Stadio Giuseppe Meazza, Milan, Italy 1985-06-18 Olympiastadion, Munich, West Germany 1985-06-15 Waldstadion, Frankfurt, West Germany 1985-06-12 Stadion Feijenoord, Rotterdam, The Netherlands 1985-06-08 Ullevi, Gothenburg, Sweden 1985-06-05 St. James' Park, Newcastle, England 1985-06-04 St. James' Park, Newcastle, England 1985-06-01 Slane Castle, Slane, Ireland 1985-04-15 Kokuritsu Yoyogi Kyōgi-jō, Tokyo, Japan 1985-04-10 Kokuritsu Yoyogi Kyōgi-jō, Tokyo, Japan 1985-04-03 Melbourne Showgrounds, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia 1985-03-27 Sydney Entertainment Centre, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia 1985-03-23 Sydney Entertainment Centre, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia 1985-03-21 Sydney Entertainment Centre, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia 1985-01-26 Carrier Dome, Syracuse, NY 1985-01-23 Providence Civic Center, Providence, RI 1985-01-18 Greensboro Coliseum, Greensboro, NC 1985-01-15 Charlotte Coliseum, Charlotte, NC 1985-01-13 Carolina Coliseum, Columbia, SC 1985-01-10 Freedom Hall, Louisville, KY 1985-01-07 Market Square Arena, Indianapolis, IN 1985-01-04 Hampton Roads Coliseum, Hampton, VA 1984-12-16 Omni (The), Atlanta, GA 1984-12-13 Mid-South Coliseum, Memphis, TN 1984-12-11 Rupp Arena, Lexington, KY 1984-12-06 Birmingham-Jefferson Civic Center Arena, Birmingham, AL 1984-11-29 Summit (The), Houston, TX 1984-11-25 Reunion Arena, Dallas, TX 1984-11-23 Frank Erwin Center, University Of Texas, Austin, TX 1984-11-16 Hilton Coliseum, Iowa State University, Ames, IA 1984-11-15 St. Louis Arena, St. Louis, MO 1984-11-11 McNichols Sports Arena, Denver, CO 1984-11-08 ASU Activity Center, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 1984-11-02 Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena, Los Angeles, CA 1984-10-31 Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena, Los Angeles, CA 1984-10-29 Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena, Los Angeles, CA 1984-10-28 Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena, Los Angeles, CA 1984-10-26 Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena, Los Angeles, CA 1984-10-25 Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena, Los Angeles, CA 1984-10-22 Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum Arena, Oakland, CA 1984-10-21 Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum Arena, Oakland, CA 1984-10-17 Tacoma Dome, Tacoma, WA 1984-10-15 Pacific Coliseum, Vancouver, BC 1984-09-25 Buffalo Memorial Auditorium, Buffalo, NY 1984-09-24 Buffalo Memorial Auditorium, Buffalo, NY 1984-09-22 Civic Arena, Pittsburgh, PA 1984-09-17 Spectrum, Philadelphia, PA 1984-09-12 Spectrum, Philadelphia, PA 1984-09-11 Spectrum, Philadelphia, PA 1984-09-08 Hartford Civic Center, Hartford, CT 1984-09-07 Hartford Civic Center, Hartford, CT 1984-09-05 Centrum In Worcester, Worcester, MA 1984-07-02 St. Paul Civic Center, Saint Paul, MN

Performances broken down by tour (not including rehearsals and snippet performances) Performed at 4 show(s) of 126 on the 2023-25 International Tour. Performed at 0 show(s) of 266 on the Springsteen On Broadway run. Performed at 3 show(s) of 14 on the Summer '17 Tour. Performed at 6 show(s) of 75 on the The River Tour 2016. Performed at 5 show(s) of 33 on the High Hopes Tour. Performed at 21 show(s) of 133 on the Wrecking Ball Tour. Performed at 6 show(s) of 83 on the Working On A Dream Tour. Performed at 2 show(s) of 99 on the Magic Tour. Performed at 0 show(s) of 56 on The Seeger Sessions Tour. Performed at 3 show(s) of 72 on the Devils & Dust Tour. Performed at 0 show(s) of 7 on the Vote For Change Tour. Performed at 3 show(s) of 120 on The Rising Tour. Performed at 9 show(s) of 132 on The Reunion Tour. Performed at 0 show(s) of 128 on The Ghost Of Tom Joad Tour. Performed at 15 show(s) of 102 on the World Tour 1992-93. Performed at 0 show(s) of 20 on the Human Rights Now! Tour. Performed at 14 show(s) of 67 on the Tunnel Of Love Express Tour. Performed at 83 show(s) of 156 on the Born In The U.S.A. Tour. Performed at 0 known other show(s), plus 0 public tour rehearsal(s).

Snippets

^{Performed live 1 times as a snippet.}

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• 1982-08-07 Big Man's West, Red Bank, NJ

Released on Album

Released on Born In The U.S.A. (1984).

Released as Live Download

Live versions are available on the following 28 official live downloads:

• 2024-06-29 Goffertpark, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
• 2024-06-14 Cívitas Metropolitano, Madrid, Spain
• 2024-04-15 MVP Arena, Albany, NY
• 2023-07-02 Voldsløkka Stadion, Oslo, Norway
• 2017-02-16 Brisbane Entertainment Centre, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
• 2017-02-07 Qudos Bank Arena, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
• 2017-01-25 Perth Arena, Perth, Western Australia, Australia
• 2016-09-11 Consol Energy Center, Pittsburgh, PA
• 2016-09-07 Citizens Bank Park, Philadelphia, PA
• 2016-09-01 Nationals Park, Washington, DC
• 2016-08-30 MetLife Stadium, East Rutherford, NJ
• 2016-05-21 Estadio Santiago Bernabéu, Madrid, Spain
• 2016-05-19 Bela Vista Park, Lisbon, Portugal
• 2014-05-06 Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion, Houston, TX
• 2014-04-17 Bridgestone Arena, Nashville, TN
• 2014-03-01 Mt. Smart Stadium, Auckland, New Zealand
• 2014-02-15 AAMI Park, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
• 2014-02-08 Perth Arena, Perth, Western Australia, Australia
• 2012-09-22 MetLife Stadium, East Rutherford, NJ
• 2012-07-31 Olympiastadion, Helsinki, Finland
• 2012-07-28 Ullevi, Gothenburg, Sweden
• 2012-07-05 Palais Omnisports De Paris-Bercy, Paris, France
• 2009-10-20 Wachovia Spectrum, Philadelphia, PA
• 2005-06-25 Hovet, Stockholm, Sweden
• 1993-05-14 Waldbühne, Berlin, Germany
• 1988-07-03 Stockholms Stadion, Stockholm, Sweden
• 1985-09-27 Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, Los Angeles, CA
• 1985-08-22 Giants Stadium, East Rutherford, NJ

One of these recordings is also available on the playlists The Live Series: Songs Of Introspection (2023), and The Born In The U.S.A. Tour '84-'85 (2024).

On The Tracks

DOWNBOUND TRAIN - V1	1:11	FFOD / HNWB
DOWNBOUND TRAIN - V2	0.34	LM-10
DOWNBOUND TRAIN - V3 take 3	2:22	LM-1 / HNWB / MT2 / ESR
DOWNBOUND TRAIN - V4a	3:17	THLRR / BUERM / TDB / LM-19 / GS
DOWNBOUND TRAIN - V4b	3:29	BITUSA
DOWNBOUND TRAIN - V5		uncirculating

Note: V1 and V2 are brief acoustic demos that were recorded at Springsteen's home in Colts Neck, NJ in late 1981. V1 includes the closing line used in both the Nebraska take and the final Born In The U.S.A. album version: "don't it feel like you're a rider [baby], on a downbound train." V2 is just harmonies, with no lyrical content. A demo was recorded and dubbed to a cassette tape on December 2, 1981 - nothing else is known about this particular recording, but it may be related to V3, a full acoustic run-through of the song recorded at some point between mid-December 1981 and January 3, 1982, with the patented Nebraska ending. Described by Springsteen in his notes to Jon Landau as an "uptempo rocker for full effect / needs band / could be exciting."

Power Station logs show sessions took place on April 27 and 28 and May 3, 5 and 6, 1982, the result of which provided the base track, V4. V4a features Springsteen's count-in, a small lyrical variation in the first verse left over from the acoustic demo ("laid off down at the auto yard" rather than "lumber yard"), some vocal howls in the mid-section, more up-front acoustic guitar over the final verse, and a shorter fade-out. Nearly a year later Bruce returned to "Downbound Train" on February 3, 1983 (V5) at Thrill Hill West, his Hollywood Hills garage studio. However, it was the 1982 cut that was issued on Born In The U.S.A. in 1984.

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^{Studio Sessions: Born In The U.S.A.}

Lyrics

Downbound Train

I had a job, I had a girl
I had something going mister in this world
I got laid off down at the lumber yard
Our love went bad, times got hard
Now I work down at the carwash
Where all it ever does is rain
Don't you feel like you're a rider on a downbound train

She just said "Joe I gotta go
We had it once we ain't got it any more"
She packed her bags left me behind
She bought a ticket on the Central Line
Nights as I sleep, I hear that whistle whining
I feel her kiss in the misty rain
And I feel like I'm a rider on a downbound train

Last night I heard your voice
You were crying, crying, you were so alone
You said your love had never died
You were waiting for me at home
Put on my jacket, I ran through the woods
I ran till I thought my chest would explode
There in the clearing, beyond the highway
In the moonlight, our wedding house shone
I rushed through the yard, I burst through the front door
My head pounding hard, up the stairs I climbed
The room was dark, our bed was empty
Then I heard that long whistle whine
And I dropped to my knees, hung my head and cried

Now I swing a sledge hammer on a railroad gang
Knocking down them cross ties, working in the rain
Now don't it feel like you're a rider on a downbound train

Visit SpringsteenLyrics.com for other versions of this song.

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